Why do cities east of the Great Lakes receive heavy lake-effect snow?

Cities located east of the Great Lakes experience heavy lake-effect snow due to the interaction between cold winter air and the relatively warmer water of the lakes.12

Large bodies of water store heat during the warmer months and release it more gradually than the surrounding landmasses during the winter. As cold, dry air masses move over the warmer lake waters, the air is heated from below and picks up significant amounts of moisture. This process decreases the stability of the air mass, causing it to rise and form clouds that produce heavy precipitation as the air moves over the land.2

Because this moisture-laden, unstable air is carried by prevailing winds, it creates localized "snowbelts" on the downwind, or eastern, shores of the lakes. These regions, which typically extend inland for 30 to 60 miles (50 to 100 km), can receive two to three times more snowfall than areas outside these belts.12